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Blast in Pakistan Targets Shi’ite Funeral

Pakistani police say that a powerful
suicide bomb blast hit the funeral of a slain Shi’ite Muslim
leader in a northwestern town on Friday, killing at least 28 people
and wounding scores of others.

Police and eyewitnesses say hundreds of
Shi’ites were attending the funeral of a local leader in the town
of Dera Ismail Khan when a suicide bomber hit the procession.

The powerful explosion is said to have
killed most of the people instantly. Hospital officials say that a
number of people are critically wounded and the death toll is
expected rise. No one claimed responsibility but police and leaders
of the minority Shi’ite community suspect Sunni Muslims are behind
the violence.

Witnesses say gunfire broke out in the
city when outraged members of the Shi’ite community fired on
police rushing to the scene. The rioting left several people
dead.

A top government official, Syed Mohsin
Shah, says that the civil administration has called up troops to
bring the situation under control. He says a curfew has been
imposed and soldiers have started patrolling the streets to
discourage rioting.

Sectarian tensions have been running high
in Deral Ismail Khan for many years. But, in recent months, Sunni
militants have introduced a new pattern of attacks on rival
Shi’ite groups. They first kill a local Shi’ite leader and then a
suicide bomber hits the slain man’s funeral procession.

Critics say that rising sectarian attacks
could further weaken the security situation in northwestern
Pakistan where the government is already under intense
international pressure to crack down on pro-Taliban militants.

In recent days, the northwestern scenic
valley of Swat has been the focus of international concern because
of a peace deal signed by Pakistani authorities and local Taliban
militants. Under the agreement, the government will facilitate
installation of an Islamic system of justice if militants lay down
their arms.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman
Abdul Basit has rejected international criticism of the peace deal,
saying the understanding is part of the government’s efforts to
eliminate extremism.

“Establishing peace, security and
stability are matters of highest priority for the [Pakistani]
government. Pakistan will use all necessary means to achieve these
objectives,” he said. “Therefore, speculation in the matter [peace
deal] will not be helpful.”

U.S special envoy for Afghanistan and
Pakistan Richard Holbrooke has said that militants in Swat pose a
direct threat to Pakistan and the United States. In a television
interview on Thursday, the senior American diplomat said that as he
puts it, Washington is worried the agreement with militants in Swat
will turn into surrender.

Holbrooke says that he raised these
concerns during a phone call with Pakistani President Asif Ali
Zardari. He says that the Pakistani leader has assured him the deal
was an “interim arrangement” to stabilize the region.

Most of the area in the northwestern
district of Swat is said to be under the control of the Pakistani
Taliban who have long demanded introduction of their strict version
of Islamic law. However, the fate of the peace deal depends on the
outcome of talks between militant leaders and representatives of an
outlawed Islamic group that signed the agreement with the
provincial government on behalf of the Taliban.